Raul Colon an award winning artist who creates powerful and dynmic ilustrations. His style is one that has become highly recognized and sought after in both book publishing and commercial advertisng. He works with Fabriano water color paper and an intriguing combination of water color washes, etching, and colored and litho pencils. He usually paints a yellowish wash of water color to start; on top of that he does a sketch, drawing in the figures or the scene. Then he builds it up wash after wash, one on top of the other. Then gradually darkens the areas then he etches into the paper with a scratcher. Finally, He uses colored pencil to fill in everything.
Colon is a versatile artist whose work ranges from puppet design to short animated films for television. His publications appear regularly in publications such as The New Yorker, The New York Times, and Business Week. He does a lot of editorial work, they give hime a clipping and he draws his interpretation of it. His beautiful illustrations captivate and entertain both children and adults.
Colon studied Commercial Art and began a freelance career. Then he moved to Florida he walked into the wrong office with his portfolio and they hired him. He ended up working at that educational television center for ten years. He enjoyed the experience, but he realized that illustration were his true passion.
He lives with his family in New City, New York City.
Raúl Colón was born in New York, and grew up in Cauguas, Puerto Rico as a young boy with a family that loved to dance. His lively childhood memories inspired his illustrations for José! Awards José! Born to Dance has been honored with the Tomás Rivera Mexican American Children’s Book Award for books published in 2005. The award, established at Texas State University-San Marcos in 1995, is designed to encourage authors, illustrators and publishers to produce books that authentically reflect the lives of Mexican American children and young adults in the United States.
Awards:
Bank Street Best Books of the Year
International Latino Book Award Winner
IRA Children's Book Award Notable
Kansas State Reading Circle Intermediate Titles
NYPL 100 Titles for Reading and Sharing
Tomás Rivera Mexican American Children’s Book Award Winner
Description
José was a boy with a song in his heart and a dance in his step. Born in Mexico in 1908, he came into the world kicking like a steer, and grew up to love to draw, play the piano, and dream. José's dreaming took him to faraway places. He dreamed of bullfighters and the sounds of the cancan dancers that he saw with his father. Dance lit a fire in José's soul.
With his heart to guide him, José left his family and went to New York to dance. He learned to flow and float and fly through space with steps like a Mexican breeze. When José danced, his spirit soared. From New York to lands afar, José Limón became known as the man who gave the world his own kind of dance.
¡OLÉ! ¡OLÉ! ¡OLÉ!
Susanna Reich's lyrical text and Raúl Colón's shimmering artwork tell the story of a boy who was determined to make a difference in the world, and did. José! Born to Dance will inspire picture book readers to follow their hearts and live their dreams.
. A Band of Angels by Deborah Hopkinson, winner of the Golden Kite Award
Awards:
ALA Notable Children's Books
Booklist Editors' Choice
Publishers Weekly Best Books
A Band of Angels is fiction, but it is based on real events and people. The character of Ella was inspired by Ella Sheppard Moore, who was born February 4, 1851, in Nashville, Tennessee. Her father was able to free himself and young Ella from slavery, but before he could buy freedom for Ella's mother she was sold away. Ella was raised in Cincinnati, where she took music lessons. At fifteen, she was left penniless when her father died. She arrived at Fisk School in 1868 with only six dollars.
Roberto Clemente by Jonah Winter. On an island called Puerto Rico, there lived a little boy who wanted only to play baseball. Although he had no money, Roberto Clemente practiced and practiced until--eventually--he made it to the Major Leagues. America! As a right-fielder for the Pittsburgh Pirates, he fought tough opponents--and even tougher racism--but with his unreal catches and swift feet, he earned his nickname, "The Great One." He led the Pirates to two World Series, hit 3,000 hits, and was the first Latino to be inducted into the Hall of Fame. But it wasn't just baseball that made Clemente legendary--he was was also a humanitarian dedicated to improving the lives of others.
My Mama Had A Dancing Heart by Libba Moore Gray, a New York Times Best Illustrated Book
A ballet dancer recalls how she and her mother would welcome each season with a dance outdoors.
Tomas and the Library Lady
Tomás and the Library Lady, received the Tomás Rivera Mexican American Children’s Book Award, an IRA Teacher’s Choice Award, a Skipping Stones Award, and was also named a Texas Bluebonnet Award Master List title and an Americas Award for Children’s and Young Adult Literature commended title.
Go tho this site for book reviews, curriculum ideas and extra information - http://www.patmora.com/book_pages/tomas.htm
Awards
1997 Américas Award for Children’s and Young Adult Literature Commended Title
Notable Books for Children,1997, Smithsonian
1998 Tomás Rivera Mexican American Children’s Book Award
1998 Teachers' Choices Award from the International Reading Association
1998 Skipping Stones Multicultural Book Award
1999-2000, Texas Bluebonnet Master List Title
1999-2000, Nebraska Golden Sower Nominee
DonaFlor.jpg This review is from: Dona Flor: A Tall Tale About a Giant Woman with a Great Big Heart (Pura Belpre Medal Book Illustrator (Awards)) (Hardcover)
Good reading skills or parental assistance will lend a wider age range to the lovely tale Dona Flor: A Tall Tale About A Giant Women With A Great Big Heart by Pat Mora. Raul Colon's gorgeous drawings lend to the captivating tale of a giant lady who lives in a tiny village in the American Southwest. A friend of kids, she plays and reads with them and even protects her beloved neighbors when a terrifying animal threatens the village. Spanish words and phrases pepper the story.
How to Bake an American Pie is very special to me. It is a book about all the special, magical ingredients that have made our country great. These ingredients include things like meekness, might, majesty, liberty, forgiveness, diversity, and grace. The exuberant and fantastical illustrations by Raul Colón bring the story alive for children.
Writings
Award winning artist Raul Colon makes his authorial debut with Orson Blasts Off. This is a joyful children's story punctuated with clever word play as we accompany Orson on a fantasy trip to occupy his mind when his computer goes on the blink. Next time your computer crashes have this book handy.
(And illustrator) Orson Blasts Off!, Atheneum Books for Young Readers (New York, NY), 2004.
Raul Colon is the ILLUSTRATOR of the following books:
Sharon Dennis Wyeth, Always My Dad, Knopf (New York, NY), 1995.
Libba Moore Gray, My Mama Had a Dancing Heart, Orchard Books (New York, NY), 1995.
John Archambault, Grandmother's Garden, Silver Press (Parsippany, NJ), 1997.
Jane Resh Thomas, Celebration!, Hyperion Books for Children (New York, NY), 1997.
Pat Mora, Tomás and the Library Lady, Knopf (New York, NY), 1997.
Bruce Balan, Buoy, Home at Sea, Delacorte Press (New York, NY), 1998.
Robert D. San Souci, A Weave of Words: An Armenian Tale, Orchard Books (New York, NY), 1998.
Robert Burleigh, Hercules, Silver Whistle (San Diego, CA), 1999.
Deborah Hopkinson, A Band of Angels: A Story Inspired by the Jubilee Singers, Atheneum Books for Young Readers (New York, NY), 1999.
Helena Clare Pittman, The Snowman's Path, Dial Books for Young Readers (New York, NY), 2000.
Ann Warren Turner, Secrets from the Dollhouse, HarperCollins (New York, NY), 2000.
Mary Calhoun, A Shepherd's Gift, HarperCollins (New York, NY), 2001.
Robert Burleigh, Pandora, Silver Whistle (San Diego, CA), 2002.
Eileen Spinelli, Rise the Moon, Dial Books for Young Readers (New York, NY), 2003.
Jane Yolen, Mightier than the Sword: World Folktales for Strong Boys, Harcourt (San Diego, CA), 2003.
Susanna Reich, José!: The Story of José Limón, Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers (New York, NY), 2005.
Jonah Winter, Roberto Clemente: Pride of the Pittsburgh Pirates, Atheneum Books for Young Readers (New York, NY), 2005.
Karma Wilson, How to Bake an American Pie, Margaret K. McElderry Books (New York, NY), in press.
Other Books Illustrated by Raul Colón
Yolanda's Genius
(written by Carol Fenner)
A Weave of Words: An Armenian Tale
(written by Robert D. San Souci)
Buoy: Home at Sea
(written by Bruce Balan)
Hercules
(written by Robert Burleigh)
Honors Awards
Silver Medal, and Gold Medal, Society of Illustrators.
"The opportunity of seeing one of the true talents Raul Colon paint at Storyopolis during the evening will be a treat for all of us." Raul Colon is an acclaimed artist whose work has appeared in numerous publications including The New York Times, TIME Magazine, The New Yorker, and The Wall Street Journal. Mr. Colon is the recent recipient of the Belpre Award for Dona Flor: A Tall Tail about a Giant Woman with a Great Big Heart. Mr. Colon is also the recipient of the Silver and Gold medal from the Society of Illustrators.
New York Times 10 Best Illustrators
Book of the Year Honor
Interesting Fact about Raul Colon
He had chronic asthma as a kid and due to this he missed a lot of school and spent his time filling up notebooks. His illness became a blessing.
One of his first pictures was a huge trailer truck.
At nine or ten years old he realized he wanted to become an illustrator.
He gets his ideas from watching MTV videos and watching people.
After exploring with students the qualities of heroes and why some people such as sports or music figures are noticed and others like nurses, school bus drivers, migrant workers or park rangers aren’t, work with students to write brief biographies or biographical poems about unnoticed heroines and heroes. They could also draw portraits.
The discussion on heroines and heroes offers an opportunity to teach media literacy to help young viewers assess what they see.
Few of us know enough about migrant workers. Students can learn about the history of migrant workers in this country and about their difficult lives and the discrimination they encounter.
Using maps, students can share their families’ historical journeys and facts about the family’s countries of origin.
Students can also learn about the history of libraries, the library as a career, and the kinds of librarians and libraries. Further they could study how libraries are funded and what a library board is.
LESSON IDEAS for Dona Flor
Introduce the tall tale tradition and have students explore if it is a uniquely American tradition. Have them select their favorite tall tale and illustrate it.
Have students do a comparison of Flor and another tall tale.
Of course, have students write and illustrate their own tall tales and, if possible, present them to another class. These could make wonderful dramatizations that could include music and technology.
Raul Colon
For further information about Raul Colon, check out his Web site at: http://www.raulcolon.com/
To view Pages from Raul's Picture Books, go to the following Web site: http://www.morgangayninkids.com/colon/
To view Raul's Electronic Work Book, go to the following Web site: http://www.workbook.com/portfolios/colon
To view Raul's favorite thing to draw - People and Figures, go to the following Web site: http://www.workbook.com/portfolios/colon
For book descriptions go to - http://www.simonsays.com/content/destination.cfm?tab=1&pid=350038
Colon is a versatile artist whose work ranges from puppet design to short animated films for television. His publications appear regularly in publications such as The New Yorker, The New York Times, and Business Week. He does a lot of editorial work, they give hime a clipping and he draws his interpretation of it. His beautiful illustrations captivate and entertain both children and adults.
Colon studied Commercial Art and began a freelance career. Then he moved to Florida he walked into the wrong office with his portfolio and they hired him. He ended up working at that educational television center for ten years. He enjoyed the experience, but he realized that illustration were his true passion.
He lives with his family in New City, New York City.
Raúl Colón was born in New York, and grew up in Cauguas, Puerto Rico as a young boy with a family that loved to dance. His lively childhood memories inspired his illustrations for José!
Awards
José! Born to Dance has been honored with the Tomás Rivera Mexican American Children’s Book Award for books published in 2005. The award, established at Texas State University-San Marcos in 1995, is designed to encourage authors, illustrators and publishers to produce books that authentically reflect the lives of Mexican American children and young adults in the United States.
Awards:
Bank Street Best Books of the YearInternational Latino Book Award Winner
IRA Children's Book Award Notable
Kansas State Reading Circle Intermediate Titles
NYPL 100 Titles for Reading and Sharing
Tomás Rivera Mexican American Children’s Book Award Winner
Description
José was a boy with a song in his heart and a dance in his step. Born in Mexico in 1908, he came into the world kicking like a steer, and grew up to love to draw, play the piano, and dream. José's dreaming took him to faraway places. He dreamed of bullfighters and the sounds of the cancan dancers that he saw with his father. Dance lit a fire in José's soul.With his heart to guide him, José left his family and went to New York to dance. He learned to flow and float and fly through space with steps like a Mexican breeze. When José danced, his spirit soared. From New York to lands afar, José Limón became known as the man who gave the world his own kind of dance.
¡OLÉ! ¡OLÉ! ¡OLÉ!
Susanna Reich's lyrical text and Raúl Colón's shimmering artwork tell the story of a boy who was determined to make a difference in the world, and did. José! Born to Dance will inspire picture book readers to follow their hearts and live their dreams.
Raul Colon's first picture book Always My Dad won a silver and gold medal from Society of Illustrators.
For a book review and to hear the story go to this site: http://pbskids.org/readingrainbow/books/episode_detail_121.html#
.
A Band of Angels by Deborah Hopkinson, winner of the Golden Kite Award
Awards:
ALA Notable Children's BooksBooklist Editors' Choice
Publishers Weekly Best Books
A Band of Angels is fiction, but it is based on real events and people. The character of Ella was inspired by Ella Sheppard Moore, who was born February 4, 1851, in Nashville, Tennessee. Her father was able to free himself and young Ella from slavery, but before he could buy freedom for Ella's mother she was sold away. Ella was raised in Cincinnati, where she took music lessons. At fifteen, she was left penniless when her father died. She arrived at Fisk School in 1868 with only six dollars.
Roberto Clemente by Jonah Winter.
On an island called Puerto Rico, there lived a little boy who wanted only to play baseball. Although he had no money, Roberto Clemente practiced and practiced until--eventually--he made it to the Major Leagues. America! As a right-fielder for the Pittsburgh Pirates, he fought tough opponents--and even tougher racism--but with his unreal catches and swift feet, he earned his nickname, "The Great One." He led the Pirates to two World Series, hit 3,000 hits, and was the first Latino to be inducted into the Hall of Fame. But it wasn't just baseball that made Clemente legendary--he was was also a humanitarian dedicated to improving the lives of others.
My Mama Had A Dancing Heart by Libba Moore Gray, a New York Times Best Illustrated Book
A ballet dancer recalls how she and her mother would welcome each season with a dance outdoors.
Tomás and the Library Lady, received the Tomás Rivera Mexican American Children’s Book Award, an IRA Teacher’s Choice Award, a Skipping Stones Award, and was also named a Texas Bluebonnet Award Master List title and an Americas Award for Children’s and Young Adult Literature commended title.
Go tho this site for book reviews, curriculum ideas and extra information - http://www.patmora.com/book_pages/tomas.htm
Awards
1997 Américas Award for Children’s and Young Adult Literature Commended Title
Notable Books for Children,1997, Smithsonian
1998 Tomás Rivera Mexican American Children’s Book Award
1998 Teachers' Choices Award from the International Reading Association
1998 Skipping Stones Multicultural Book Award
1999-2000, Texas Bluebonnet Master List Title
1999-2000, Nebraska Golden Sower Nominee
DonaFlor.jpg
This review is from: Dona Flor: A Tall Tale About a Giant Woman with a Great Big Heart (Pura Belpre Medal Book Illustrator (Awards)) (Hardcover)
Good reading skills or parental assistance will lend a wider age range to the lovely tale Dona Flor: A Tall Tale About A Giant Women With A Great Big Heart by Pat Mora. Raul Colon's gorgeous drawings lend to the captivating tale of a giant lady who lives in a tiny village in the American Southwest. A friend of kids, she plays and reads with them and even protects her beloved neighbors when a terrifying animal threatens the village. Spanish words and phrases pepper the story.
How to Bake an American Pie is very special to me. It is a book about all the special, magical ingredients that have made our country great. These ingredients include things like meekness, might, majesty, liberty, forgiveness, diversity, and grace. The exuberant and fantastical illustrations by Raul Colón bring the story alive for children.
Writings
Award winning artist Raul Colon makes his authorial debut with Orson Blasts Off. This is a joyful children's story punctuated with clever word play as we accompany Orson on a fantasy trip to occupy his mind when his computer goes on the blink. Next time your computer crashes have this book handy.(And illustrator) Orson Blasts Off!, Atheneum Books for Young Readers (New York, NY), 2004.
Raul Colon is the ILLUSTRATOR of the following books:
Sharon Dennis Wyeth, Always My Dad, Knopf (New York, NY), 1995.Libba Moore Gray, My Mama Had a Dancing Heart, Orchard Books (New York, NY), 1995.
John Archambault, Grandmother's Garden, Silver Press (Parsippany, NJ), 1997.
Jane Resh Thomas, Celebration!, Hyperion Books for Children (New York, NY), 1997.
Pat Mora, Tomás and the Library Lady, Knopf (New York, NY), 1997.
Bruce Balan, Buoy, Home at Sea, Delacorte Press (New York, NY), 1998.
Robert D. San Souci, A Weave of Words: An Armenian Tale, Orchard Books (New York, NY), 1998.
Robert Burleigh, Hercules, Silver Whistle (San Diego, CA), 1999.
Deborah Hopkinson, A Band of Angels: A Story Inspired by the Jubilee Singers, Atheneum Books for Young Readers (New York, NY), 1999.
Helena Clare Pittman, The Snowman's Path, Dial Books for Young Readers (New York, NY), 2000.
Ann Warren Turner, Secrets from the Dollhouse, HarperCollins (New York, NY), 2000.
Mary Calhoun, A Shepherd's Gift, HarperCollins (New York, NY), 2001.
Robert Burleigh, Pandora, Silver Whistle (San Diego, CA), 2002.
Eileen Spinelli, Rise the Moon, Dial Books for Young Readers (New York, NY), 2003.
Jane Yolen, Mightier than the Sword: World Folktales for Strong Boys, Harcourt (San Diego, CA), 2003.
Susanna Reich, José!: The Story of José Limón, Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers (New York, NY), 2005.
Jonah Winter, Roberto Clemente: Pride of the Pittsburgh Pirates, Atheneum Books for Young Readers (New York, NY), 2005.
Karma Wilson, How to Bake an American Pie, Margaret K. McElderry Books (New York, NY), in press.
Other Books Illustrated by Raul Colón
(written by Carol Fenner)
(written by Robert D. San Souci)
(written by Bruce Balan)
(written by Robert Burleigh)
Honors Awards
Silver Medal, and Gold Medal, Society of Illustrators."The opportunity of seeing one of the true talents Raul Colon
paint at Storyopolis during the evening will be a treat for all of us."
Raul Colon is an acclaimed artist whose work has appeared in numerous
publications including The New York Times, TIME Magazine, The New Yorker,
and The Wall Street Journal. Mr. Colon is the recent recipient of the
Belpre Award for Dona Flor: A Tall Tail about a Giant Woman with a Great
Big Heart. Mr. Colon is also the recipient of the Silver and Gold medal
from the Society of Illustrators.
New York Times 10 Best Illustrators
Book of the Year Honor
Interesting Fact about Raul Colon
Lesson Plans Using Books Illustraed by Raul Colon